• Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews - Audio And Video Online Reviews 1991-2018
  Jake Brigance, the trial lawyer who appeared in Grisham's first novel, A Time to Kill (1989), makes his second appearance, trying to get a black woman, Lettie, the long-delayed justice for the loss of her family's land. Set in Clanton, Mississippi, the novel recalls the earlier book's characters, setting, and town prejudices. Beck is a master at the nuances of regional and racial southern accents. His range is wide, subtle, and wonderfully indicative of the variety of characters in the novel. He gives Jake a muted Mississippi accent that calls attention to his roots. The eight lawyers involved range from polite to downright racist, and Beck's range in verbally defining them is brilliant. Lettie herself comes across as stunned and overwhelmed, and Beck's reading of her never lets the listener forget that she is only human. While this is not the cliff-hanger that A Time to Kill was, it shows that Jake is still on his game and prepared to try to gain justice for the people of Clanton. Copyright 2019 Booklist Reviews.

JOHN GRISHAM is the author of a collection of stories, a work of nonfiction, three sports novels, four kids' books, and many legal thrillers. His work has been translated into 42 languages. He lives near Charlottesville, Virgina.